Sen. Turner: Bill to hire Trenton cops an exercise in futility'

TRENTON — Mayor Tony F. Mack says his administration reached out to every legislative member in the state to advocate for a bill to hire more police officers given the historic violence plaguing the capital city.

That statement has been debated by some state officials, leading to a response Thursday from Mack claiming any member to say otherwise is “sheer nonsense.”

But state Sen. Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) says even if a bill is put forward, it will never see the light of day.

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“It’s like any other piece of legislation that’s been vetoed by the governor, it dies,” Turner said Thursday. “I don’t think we should be depending on this governor to provide additional aid through legislation. It’s an exercise in futility.”

If the mayor facing federal corruption charges was given any indication how Gov. Chris Christie would respond to any request from him, it came last month.

In early August, Mack sent a letter to the Republican governor requesting approximately $10 million to hire 75 more police officers.

Two weeks later, the governor stated he would not respond to any request from the “indicted” mayor of Trenton.

In December, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment charging Mack, his brother, Ralphiel Mack, and Mayor Mack’s close associate, Joseph A. “JoJo” Giorgianni, with extortion, bribery, and mail and wire fraud.

Mack and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from an alleged scheme to accept $119,000 in bribes in exchange for using the mayor’s influence over the development of a parking garage on city-owned land. The trial is expected to begin in January.

Without the extra baggage, Turner has dealt with her fair share of issues grabbing the governor’s ear to provide aid to Trenton.

After 105 police officers were laid off two years ago, the state senator wrote to him twice to ask for funds to rehire the cops.

“I never got response,” she said. “I spoke to the governor’s chief of staff for additional aid for the capital city, That too fell on deaf ears.”

Turner added she introduced legislation for the state to pay property taxes instead of the current tax formula, where the city is receiving little for properties the state occupies, but that bill also went nowhere.

The state senator has met with all levels of law enforcement officials to address Trenton’s violence, which last week broke the record for homicides with four months left in the year.

“I’m doing all I can to find resources for the city,” she said. “But everybody keeps saying the same thing that they don’t have money.”

That added with the fact state officials have said they won’t help Trenton with Mack in office has led to a “very unfortunate situation,” Turner said.

“I don’t think that the governor or anyone else should be holding the people who live in the city of Trenton hostage because of their mayor,” the state senator said. “You can’t blame the people and let the people suffer for the person who is at the top, the mayor. Unfortunately, the people in the city are suffering as a result of it.”

Turner said she introduced a bill last year to require any elected official who is indicted of a crime to step aside until the completion of the trial, but that proposal also hasn’t been heard.

“If they are found innocent, then they can reassume their office and be paid retroactively,” Turner said. “The city or any other entity should not be held hostage for the long period of time that it takes for the hands of justice to take its course.”

The state representative said she has seen firsthand when fellow legislators are indicted.

“They’re not of any real use,” Turner said. “They don’t do anything productive. They’re like pariahs.”

The reason Turner says the bill won’t be heard is because there are many lawyers in the state assembly who claim the law would deny someone their due process.

“That’s why they should step aside and concentrate and their defense,” Turner said. “The city has been bogged down for far too long. We’re in a dire situation in the city.”